


Reunited

by EggsEgghead



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Anal Sex, Domestic Fluff, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Feelings, First Kiss, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, More like outdoor blow job, Old Friends, Outdoor Sex, Reunions, Rough Sex, Smut, a couple I would die for, the fic that got them together, this is the fic that started it all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:35:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25342552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EggsEgghead/pseuds/EggsEgghead
Summary: Years have passed since Roy and Brutus's last adventure together. A lot has changed, people have come and go, but the two find themselves face-to-face once more. They have a lot of catching up to do.
Relationships: Original D&D Character(s)/Original D&D Character(s)
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this ages ago. It took me 3 years to finish......but finally it is done.  
> Written about my first ever character, Roy, and my friend's paladin, Brutus. We have a mutual agreement that they're canonically a couple now :3c

Brutus quietly made his way into the unfamiliar tavern. He had never been to this town before. It was far north of where he usually traveled, but a certain quest took him far away from home. Inside, there seemed to be a little commotion. The inn was full of people, but it seemed that quite a few were filing out of the main room. Some slipped through the front door as Brutus came in while others made their ways to their rooms for the night. Over the commotion, Brutus could hear the familiar sound of a lute being played. The music was quiet and the melody was slow, as if the instrumentalist was practicing rather than performing, but the sound was lovely nonetheless. Brutus went to the front counter, where he spoke to the innkeep and got himself a room for the night.

Roy let his fingers dance over the strings of his lute as he sat on the edge of the small stage in the main room. He stared down at the strings as he played a soft tune, a small smile forcing its way onto his lips. He blinked slowly and hummed to himself. It reminded him of home. Memories of family filled his mind, of his mother and his father, his old troupe, his old traveling companions. He still kept in touch with them from time to time, but it had been ages since he had seen them face to face. The sounds of the tavern around him slowly began to fade away as Roy fell into his music, his mind drifting far, far away from where he was.

The night was young. Brutus, after carrying his things up to his bedroom, returned to the main room to relax. He managed to get some food from the innkeep and he sat at a table by himself, watching the night owls as he spooned stew into his mouth slowly. He found himself lost in his own thoughts, but he quickly snapped back to attention when a vaguely familiar figure crossed his line of sight.

Crossing the room, an old lute strapped to their back, was a tall, slender figure. They walked with an air of confidence, each step they took assertive. The sound of their heels hitting the wood floor and the clinking of their gold and silver jewelry made a song all their own. Organically rhythmic. They were dressed in expensive looking clothing: a white chiffon blouse that was unbuttoned and tucked into high-waisted pants made of what appeared to be a rich, dark leather, and high rise leather boots that folded at the top, revealing silver trimming. The figure had what appeared to be a long coat draped over their shoulder. As they walked, a long curtain of lavender hair followed, which would flow free if it weren’t for the single knot close to the bottom that held it all in place. The figure seemed to shimmer as the light in the room reflected off of them.

Brutus wasn’t the only person who watched the figure cross the room. A vast majority of the patrons in the inn had their eyes on the lavender haired person as they made their way to the bar, taking a seat in one of the stools. A few people got up and relocated to be closer to the lavender haired person, but Brutus stayed put. He watched as some of the people approached the shimmering figure. It looked like words were exchanged between the people, who appeared to be fans, and the figure. Some people held out notebooks and diaries and the lavender haired person was brought a quill and ink. With a smile, they scribbled something onto the pages of these books and there was a happy, energetic air in the room. When the group disbanded, Brutus got up and went to the bar.

Roy smiled and waved as the fans who had approached him wandered off, autographed diaries and notebooks held open to let the ink dry. He laid his coat across his lap and looked over at the barkeep. He requested the usual: a bottle of the finest elven wine in the bar. The barkeep popped open the bottle and poured a glass for Roy, and Roy drank quietly. Alone. Lost in his own thoughts. His gaze drifted to the side as someone new approached.

A sturdily built figure approached the bar and took a seat next to where Roy was sitting. He sat quietly and called for a glass of water, which was promptly brought to him. Roy watched the man carefully. His shaggy brown hair and scruffy face, calloused hands and simple clothes...it all seemed too familiar to him. Roy said nothing and took a long drink of his wine, the burgundy liquid causing a welcome warm feeling in his mouth and throat. He promptly poured himself another glass, only to empty it right away.

Brutus watched the lavender haired person out of the corner of his eyes as they downed glass after glass of wine.

“If you’re going to drink so fast, you might as well just drink out of the bottle, y’know.” Brutus took a sip of his water.

Roy blinked a few times and lowered his glass from his lips. He slowly turned his head to the figure beside him. “Excuse me?” The shock in Roy’s voice was expertly disguised.

A smile crossed Brutus’s lips and he turned to look at Roy. “What’s the point of the glass if you’re going to drink like a maniac?”

Any trace of scorn that was on Roy’s face was immediately replaced with joy. His eyes lit up and he smiled wider than he had in years. “Brutus!”

Roy leapt out of his seat, his coat falling to the floor, as he threw his arms around Brutus’s bulky frame. Brutus hugged Roy back, his arms encircling Roy’s thin waist with ease. The two hugged for what felt like ages. Roy was the first to pull away. He took a step back and put his hands on Brutus’s shoulders as he looked his old friend over. Nothing about him had changed.

“It’s been ages since I last saw you! Oh, we have so much catching up to do.” Roy patted Brutus’s shoulders and scooped his coat up off the floor. He tossed it onto the bar and took his seat again. “Here, let me buy you a drink. Do you drink now? I can get you something weak if you want,” Roy was talking a mile a minute as he looked along the bar for the barkeep, stopping only when Brutus told him to.

“It’s fine, my water’s okay for now,” Brutus chuckled at Roy’s excitement. Despite his confident and slightly haughty aura, Roy was the same person Brutus knew from so many years ago. A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he suddenly remembered the first time they had met.

Roy settled himself in his seat and took a sip of wine. “Gods, you haven’t changed at all. Well, you look a little older, of course. I think I can see a grey hair there, actually.” Roy squinted and pointed at Brutus’s hair, and Brutus furrowed his brows above his eyes in response. “But anyway! What’ve you been up to? I haven’t heard from you in forever.”

Brutus thought for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he should retell all of his journeys since the group parted ways. He eventually shrugged. “I’ve been with Delsin. You remember him, right? My brother?”

“Of course I do. I remember everything.” Roy tapped his temple and crossed one of his legs over the other. “That’s it, though?”

“Pretty much. The two of us have been doing some jobs together, but that’s about it. What about you? You seem pretty popular now.”

Roy was all smiles. “I’ve been spending my time performing. I’ve gotten a really big following up here.”

“I can tell. Where’s the rest of your troupe? Didn’t you have a whole group you played with?” Brutus looked around the bar to see if he could spot any more familiar faces.

“I’m a solo act now. A lot happened and, well, I went off on my own.”

“What happened?”

Roy looked down into his wine glass and swished the drink around in the glass slowly. He was quiet for a moment before taking a deep breath. “The troupe disbanded.”

“Oh man, that sucks...I’m sorry.” Brutus reached out and gave Roy’s arm a pat. Roy shrugged in response.

“It couldn’t be helped. It’s okay, though, with all the money I’ve been making, my parents were able to retire. I’m always sending them a cut of what I get.” Roy took a sip of wine. “Well, retired from performing, I guess. It’s a complicated thing. My mother is still a tailor and she does that now. My father...well, he plays. He doesn’t sing anymore, though. He got _really_ sick and his voice was never the same afterwards.”

Brutus listened attentively as he emptied his glass. The barkeep was quick to refill it. “What about the others, though? Didn’t you have a boyfriend you traveled with?”

The way Roy scoffed in response threw Brutus off guard. Before he had the chance to say anything, Roy started to talk. “He was hardly my boyfriend. He slapped the title on in haste when he found out I was planning to travel on my own, probably in the hopes of keeping me with him. The truth is that he was the only guy in the troupe that was relatively close to my age and we slept together a lot. Nothing more. Regardless, that isn't a thing anymore. When I left, we stopped talking to each other and when I got back, he and his sister were gone. But if anything, it worked out for the best. I’ve been thinking of someone else, anyway.”

“Someone else? Who?” Brutus was curious.

Roy looked at Brutus and held eye contact with him for a brief moment. Brutus could see the tinge of red on Roy’s cheeks, but he assumed it was from the alcohol. Roy looked down into his glass once more before drinking what was left inside of it.

“An old friend.” Roy put his glass on the bar and folded his hands. “But enough about me. What are you doing around here?” There was a melancholic tone in Roy’s voice.

“I’m just working. I’m passing through for the night and I’ll be leaving in the morning. I still have a day’s travel ahead of me from this point.” Brutus shrugged and shifted in his seat.

“Ah. What about your personal life? How are you and Arway?”

“Arway…” Brutus’s gaze fell and he pursed his lips. “We lost contact. She stopped responding to my letters, so I haven’t heard from her in a while.”

Roy frowned. “That sucks. I tried really hard to get her to talk to you.”

“Yeah…I guess it can't be helped.” Brutus shrugged.

The two grew silent as they both stared into their glasses. Roy adjusted his position in his seat, switching which leg was crossed over the other, while Brutus ran a hand back through his hair, pulling out some of the knots in the process. Roy straightened his necklaces and twisted a few of the rings on his fingers just so he could have something to do. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach as he opened his mouth to speak again.

“Hey, Brutus?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you have to leave in the morning? I mean, is the job you’re on super urgent or anything?”

Brutus hummed in thought and tapped a finger against the bar. He looked over at Roy, who was watching him, anticipating his response. “I guess not. Why?”

“Oh! Well, it’s because I’m going to be here for a couple days performing and I thought it would be nice to hang out, like we used to, y’know?” Roy was nervous but his skill as an actor helped him to disguise his nerves. Brutus could see through Roy’s cool facade, though. He laughed quietly and shook his head, Roy scoffing at his response.

“Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

The next morning, Brutus found Roy sitting in the main room, two plates of food in front of him. He was eating from one while the second sat, untouched. Brutus made his way over and Roy perked up in his seat when he noticed.

“Morning! I got breakfast for you.” Roy motioned towards the full plate sitting across from him at the table.

“Thanks.” Brutus sat down. “Have you been waiting here for long?”

“I’ve been awake for most of the night. I don’t sleep like you do, remember?” Roy shoveled a forkful of food into his mouth. Despite his expensive looks, he was still far from the epitome of grace. “Food hasn’t been there long, though.” He spoke with his mouth full of food.

Brutus grinned and started to eat. The meal was simple and rustic but tasted amazing. Brutus became a little nostalgic as he ate it. His mind flooded with memories of all the old adventures he and Roy had been on in the past and all the inns they had stayed in. He was pulled from his thoughts when Roy spoke.

“So, I don’t have to perform until tonight. Did you want to hang out in the meantime?” Roy picked up a decent sized bite of food with his fork and brought it to his lips. He waited for a moment before putting it in his mouth.

Brutus, after swallowing a big helping of food, nodded. “Yeah, that sounds cool. What did you have in mind?”

“Ever been here before? To this town, I mean.”

“Can’t say I have.”

Roy grinned. “Well, there’s this really pretty grotto just outside of town. I like to go there to practice. Been thinking of building a house there, actually. You wanna come take a look? You are a carpenter, after all.”

Brutus watched Roy carefully. The elf slowly forked food into his mouth and kept his eyes on what he was doing. To anyone else, his nonchalance wouldn’t raise any suspicion, but Brutus knew Roy. He could see through Roy’s clever facades like it were second nature to him. The way Roy slowly moved, kept his eyes down, even the way he spoke rose an air of suspicion. Brutus wasn’t getting a bad feeling from Roy, but the way he acted seemed to imply that there was some kind of ulterior motive. Regardless, Brutus agreed.

“Yeah, I can give you a second opinion.”

Roy lifted his head and smiled. “Awesome, we’ll go after breakfast.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Brutus spend the day together. Light hearted fun is had before things take an unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The formatting got a little wonky but I'm too lazy to bother fixing it

Breakfast time came and went. With empty plates and full stomachs, Roy and Brutus left the inn and headed off for the grotto that Roy had spoken of earlier. The two were stopped now and then by enthusiastic fans who wanted to talk with Roy or ask for his autograph, but the journey there was peaceful. As the sounds of the town faded away, replaced by the sounds of the surrounding forest, an air of tranquility fell over Brutus. He walked a few paces behind Roy, who deftly maneuvered through the trees and underbrush. Brutus watched Roy and carefully followed, doing his best to avoid tripping on the roots that were hidden under the thick grass and fallen leaves.

Roy looked behind him to make sure Brutus was there. As he turned, Brutus looked up. Their eyes met and the two held the gaze for a moment before Roy smiled. Brutus grinned back before Roy turned back around. The look in Roy’s eyes lingered in Brutus’s mind for a while. Despite the years and everything that had happened in that time, Roy still had the same childlike sense of wonder and astonishment. When Brutus noticed Roy starting to walk faster, Brutus quickened his pace to match.

The thick trees slowly thinned and Brutus found a clearing in front of him. He slowly followed Roy out of the treeline and he felt the sun on his skin. He looked around slowly. Around him, butterflies fluttered through the air. The grass was speckled with flowers of every color imaginable. Birdsong and cricket chirping echoed through the grotto, creating a natural melody. Even the air was sweet with the smell of honeysuckle and fruit. When Brutus turned his attention to Roy, he found him picking flowers and carefully braiding them together.

Brutus wandered over to one of the bushes that lined the grove and carefully plucked one of the small golden flowers. He held the small plant to his lips to taste the sweet nectar before picking a few more flowers from the bush. When he turned, he noticed Roy walking towards him with something in his hands and a dopey grin on his face.

As he approached, Roy lifted the small crown of flowers he had made and he placed it on Brutus’s head. He adjusted it carefully. “Looks nice on you.”

Brutus reached up and touched the crown gently with his fingers. Part of him wanted to take it off, but he left it where it was. He looked up at Roy. “Is this the place you were talking about?”

“Yeah. It’s kind of like my happy place, y’know?” Roy sighed heavily as he looked around, a dreamy and distant look in his eyes. He reached down and plucked one of the flowers around his feet from the ground before carefully tucking it behind his ear. "The hustle and bustle of city life grates on my nerves sometimes."

“Well, this seems like a nice place to live. It’s very you.” Brutus nodded as he sucked the nectar from one of the flowers he had picked off the bush.

“This isn’t even the best part, though. C’mon,” Roy reached out and grabbed Brutus’s arm, “there’s somewhere even better.”

Roy pulled Brutus through the grotto and back into the forest. They headed in the direction opposite the one they entered the clearing from as Roy pulled Brutus along assertively. They walked for a few minutes before Brutus could hear the sound of running water.

After a few more minutes of walking, the trees opened up to what looked to be a large river. As Brutus made his way out of the woods and onto the stone that was surrounding the river, he could see a waterfall a few steps away. The sun glistened off the water and reflected the light across the wet stone and grass. He looked over at Roy, who was standing near the edge of the river, his head tilted up to look at the top of the waterfall. A soft breeze blew through the area, playfully tossing Roy’s hair around him. Roy tucked his hair behind his ear and turned to Brutus, a smile on his face.

“It’s nice, right?” The tone of Roy’s voice was a little different than it usually was. In most cases, his voice had a sing-song quality to it. He always spoke as if he were constantly reciting prose to an undisclosed beat, his words flowing off his tongue musically. But now, Roy’s voice was softer. The chirpy, sing-song quality was gone and replaced with a velvety and intimate tone that Brutus had only heard a few times before. Brutus had first heard it ages ago, when the group was still traveling together. When nightmares and sad thoughts kept Brutus awake at night, sometimes he would hear Roy talking to himself in the same tone he was using now. This tone of voice was sometimes accompanied by tears, sometimes by music. Regardless, Brutus knew that Roy was at his most vulnerable when he dropped his performer’s facade.

Brutus’s thoughts kept him from answering Roy. When Brutus focused on reality again, he caught Roy in the midst of taking off his clothes.

“R-Roy!” Brutus’s face turned red and he stared at Roy, who nonchalantly turned around to address Brutus.

“What?” Roy slipped out of his chiffon shirt and got to work untying the sash from around his waist.

“W...What are you doing?! Why are you taking off your clothes?!”

Roy’s hands stopped moving and he stared at Brutus. His eyes narrowed slightly and he cocked his head a bit. “I’m...not going to swim in my clothes, Brutus. These are expensive clothes.”

Brutus stared back at Roy for a while, his face turning a deeper shade of red. “Oh…”

Roy grinned and laughed as he finished untying the sash. He kept his clothes slung over one of his arms as he kicked off his boots and got to work unbuttoning the buttons on his pants. Brutus tried not to watch Roy as he struggled to wiggle out of his tight fitting clothes, but he couldn’t keep himself from keeping an eye on Roy.

“Do you...need help?” Brutus felt awkward asking but he thought he might as well throw the offer on the table.

“You just want an excuse to get my pants off, don’t you?” Roy giggled as Brutus got flustered again. He managed to get his pants to his ankles before Brutus could respond. “If you want to help that bad, you could find somewhere to put my clothes. I don’t want them to get wet. Leather and water aren’t good friends, y’know.”

Before Brutus could respond, he found himself with Roy’s outfit in his arms. The clothes carried the faint smell of Roy’s perfume. He nodded as Roy made his way over to a small trail that led up to the top of the waterfall. Brutus looked down at the clothes he was holding before looking around. He decided that the best place to put them would be on one of the trees nearby.

Roy stood at the top of the waterfall and stared down into the water below. He put his hands on his hips and leaned over the edge of the cliff ever so slightly before he caught a glimpse of Brutus. He watched as Brutus hung his clothes over a low lying tree branch and turned. Roy waved his arms to catch his attention.

“Brutus!” Roy shouted from where he was at the top of the waterfall. Brutus looked. “Are you going to come swimming with me or what?”

Brutus thought for a moment, contemplating whether or not he wanted to jump into the river. With a shrug, he started to get undressed. “Yeah, just give me a minute!”

Roy waited impatiently for Brutus at the top of the waterfall. He watched from above as Brutus got out of his clothes and haphazardly threw them over the same branch that he had hung Roy’s clothes from. Moments later, Brutus was beside Roy, staring down into the water below.

“So who’s going first?” Brutus looked over at Roy, who was already looking at him.

“I’ll see you at the bottom.” Roy punched Brutus’s shoulder. He took a few steps away from the edge of the cliff so he could get a running start. Brutus moved out of the way and watched Roy rush past him, no hesitation in his steps. Brutus watched as Roy leapt from the edge and disappeared from view. He peered over the edge in time to see Roy get engulfed by the water below. A few seconds later, Roy’s head emerged from under the water. He gave Brutus a wave and motioned for him to jump.

Brutus stared down into the water below and took a deep breath. He turned from the edge and took a few steps away so he could get a running start. After a brief moment, Brutus headed for the edge. His legs continued to work even after he had jumped from the cliff. A rush of adrenaline hit him as he started to fall towards the water below. His heart was pounding in his chest and a smile spread wide across his face and, soon enough, he found himself surrounded by water. Brutus’s eyes, which had instinctively closed when he hit the water, opened. The water was crystal clear, even with his blurred vision. He swam over to where he saw Roy treading water and swiftly grabbed his ankles, pulling him under the water. Roy let out a shriek that was abruptly cut off by the water. A long trail of bubbles escaped his lips as he opened his eyes under the water and looked at Brutus. They grinned at one another before Roy kicked his legs, pushing Brutus away and propelling himself towards the shore. Brutus followed, eager to keep Roy in the water with him, but Roy was faster. He reached the edge of the river in record time, hauling himself up onto dry land just as Brutus reached for him. Roy’s hair slipped between Brutus’s fingers as he climbed to the safety of the river’s edge.

“Where’re you going?” Brutus laid his arms on the edge of the shore and placed his cheek against one of his forearms. Roy sat up in front of Brutus and leaned over so their faces were only inches apart.

“Nowhere. I just wasn’t expecting you to try and drown me,” Roy laughed and tousled Brutus’s wet hair, sending droplets of water flying in various directions. He sat upright again and started wringing the water from his own hair. Brutus scoffed.

“I wasn’t trying to drown you.” Brutus pushed away from the edge. “But if you won’t come back in, I guess I’ll have to bring the water to you!”

Before Roy could protest, Brutus dragged his arms across the water’s surface, sending a wave crashing onto shore and soaking Roy. Roy shouted but smiled. He pushed his bangs out of his face and glared playfully at Brutus, who was already making his way into deeper water.

“Oh, you’re so gonna regret that!” Without hesitation, Roy dove back into the water. He moved swiftly and caught up to Brutus in no time. The two laughed as they sent waves crashing into one another, splashing water back and forth in a makeshift water war. There was no clear indication of who was winning or losing, but Brutus and Roy were having the most fun they’d had in ages.

The battle went on for several minutes. The crossfire stopped now and then so the two could catch their breath, but the war ended when Roy drifted too close to Brutus. In an attempt to end the battle once and for all, he tried to dunk Brutus underwater, but he wasn’t strong enough to do so. Instead, he ended up in front of Brutus with his hands on Brutus’s shoulders. As if on instinct, Brutus let his arms drift almost protectively around Roy’s waist, as if trying to keep him from sinking. When Roy noticed the situation he had put himself in, his cheeks turned a soft shade of pink and a sly grin spread across his face. Brutus, however, grew flustered. His face flushed a deep shade of red and his eyes widened.

“Ah, I’m sorry I--” Brutus started to pull his arms from around Roy’s waist but Roy caught his wrists, pulling his arms back where they were. There was a wild, almost desperate, look in Roy’s eyes.

“Don’t apologize…” Roy spoke softly in a very dreamy tone. “I don’t mind…”

Brutus kept his arms around Roy’s body as Roy slipped his arms around Brutus’s neck. Under normal circumstances, Brutus would have pulled away but there was something comforting about being so close with Roy. He knew that Roy had a naturally welcoming aura about him, but there was a different feeling in the air. Something more...intimate.

“Roy..?” Brutus stared up at Roy, a look of confusion in his eyes.

“Brutus I...there’s something I want to tell you. Or, rather... _ need _ to tell you.” Roy ran a hand back through Brutus’s wet, shaggy hair, slicking it back and out of his eyes. He swallowed hard as he thought of what to say next.

It was odd to see Roy in such an awkward situation. He had always been a master of words; it was almost incomprehensible to see him struggle with what to say. But Brutus was patient. He waited for Roy to put together the perfect sentence.

“Gods...this always played out differently in my mind,” Roy laughed and Brutus couldn’t help but smile at the melodic tone of Roy’s laughter. “Brutus...remember when we met?”

“Yeah, of course.” Brutus nodded.

“Well…” Roy laughed again, though this time he sounded a little more nervous. “Dammit, Brutus, I fell head over heels in love with you from the moment I saw you!” Roy moved his arms from around Brutus’s neck and placed his hands on either side of Brutus’s face. He stared hard down at Brutus. “You’ve always been such a good person and you always treated me so nicely...I know that it was because we were friends but...fuck.”

Brutus was surprised when Roy shoved away from him. The two drifted apart in the water before Roy, sighing, started swimming back to shore. Brutus followed, but gave Roy his space. When Roy pulled himself up onto dry land, Brutus pulled himself right up beside him.

There was a long silence after Roy’s confession. Brutus struggled with what he wanted to say while Roy was thinking of ways to erase what he had said from existence. No magic could help him now.

“Roy…” Brutus was looking at Roy, but Roy was staring at the water.

“Forget I said anything…” Roy smiled faintly and closed his eyes. “I know you don’t play this game, Brutus. It was stupid to bring this up in the first place.” When his eyes opened again, there were tears. The laugh Roy let out was painful to listen to. “You’ve always been too good for me. Even now...you’re out helping people. Always in danger for the wellbeing of others...and what am I doing? Fiddling around with a stupid lute and shooting sparks from my fucking fingertips. I’ve done nothing but disappoint people. My dad, my ex, Orzo, you...all I’ve ever done is just leech off of you guys. I worried my parents because I was selfish. I lost my boyfriend because I was selfish. Orzo’s sight has been gone for gods know how long and I can’t help him. I watched you die and...there was nothing...I could do…” Roy shook his head and covered his mouth with his hands in an attempt to stifle the sob he could feel creeping up his throat. He shut his eyes again, this time causing his tears to overflow.

It was strange seeing Roy cry. Brutus had seen him do it once or twice before when they traveled together, but it was usually because he was hurt or because he saw a cute dog. Even after the group went their separate ways, Brutus had nights where, despite the distance between him and Roy, he stayed up late and tried to talk Roy out of the bad thoughts he tended to have when he was alone. But none of that compared to seeing the usually bright and peppy elf doubled over in a fit of noisy sobs.

But tears couldn’t keep Roy from speaking. “You...deserve someone so...so much better than me…”

“That’s bullshit,” Brutus’s voice was firm. Roy’s eyes blinked open and he turned slowly to look at his best friend.

“You might not see it, but you’ve helped me in so many ways. When we met...gods, I didn't know what I was doing with my life. Yeah, I was after Garrett but other than that, I had nothing. Delsin and I did our own thing. I was alone for so long, but then you came along.” Brutus reached out and put a hand on Roy’s arm. “I was depressed for such a long time, but you changed that. You were like a bouncing little beacon of light in a dark, dark place. And you still are! Being able to talk to you night after night despite being so far from you...it makes all the difficulties we faced worth it.”

Roy’s quivering lip slowly turned up into a smile and he wiped the tears from his eyes. He reached out for Brutus, who moved closer, and wrapped his arms around him. There was no place Roy would rather be than in Brutus’s arms.

“You really mean all of that..?” Roy’s voice was quiet and partially muffled against Brutus’s shoulder.

“Of course I do.” Brutus nodded and gave Roy a soft squeeze. The hug lasted much longer than it should have, but it never got uncomfortable. Brutus enjoyed Roy’s warmth while Roy felt safe. After a while, Roy picked his head up and pushed back just enough so that he could see Brutus. He stared down at Brutus for a while, his eyes inspecting the features of his face, before he moved a hand to rest against Brutus’s cheek. Brutus’s eyes darted down to look at Roy’s hand but he didn’t protest. He leaned into Roy’s touch as Roy’s fingers traced along his face, the stubble on his jaw rough against his skin. Even though the situation was new and awkward, Brutus felt at ease. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt...oddly comfortable with Roy touching him. He slowly let his eyes fall shut.

Roy smiled as he saw Brutus close his eyes. He wished that this moment would last forever, but he knew that Brutus was probably misinterpreting the situation at hand. What Brutus saw as friendship, Roy saw as something so much more. An unrequited love. Roy swallowed hard at the thought and the tears threatened to reemerge, but he managed to maintain his composure and revel in the moment. Though Roy’s past romances were full of nothing but heartbreak, little moments like these reinvigorated his desire for love. He sighed quietly, calming his nerves as he felt his face get hot with emotion. The hand that Roy had on Brutus’s cheek slowly moved, his fingers getting lost in Brutus’s messy hair, while the other sat anxiously on Brutus’s shoulder. Roy bit his lip. It was now or never. “Fuck…”

Brutus would have laughed if Roy hadn’t leaned in and kissed him. Instinctively, Brutus’s eyes shot open but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he sat still as Roy kissed him.

At first, Brutus was taken off guard by Roy’s sudden display of affection, but he slowly eased into the kiss. After a few seconds, he let his hands slowly move to rest on Roy’s waist, which prompted the elf to move even closer. When their knees touched, Roy slowly, cautiously, made his way into Brutus’s lap, never once breaking the kiss.

Brutus was the one to pull away first. Once Roy had settled in his lap, he pulled his head back ever so slightly, causing Roy to lean forward the slightest bit. A faint grin appeared on Brutus’s lips.

“Roy…” Brutus’s voice caused Roy to open his eyes. He had a dazed look in his eyes as he slowly looked Brutus’s face over.

“Mm..?” Though their lips had separated, Roy’s hands continued to explore. As one hand slowly moved through Brutus’s hair, the other traveled up his neck to his face. Roy’s fingers gently brushed over the stubble on Brutus’s jaw. Brutus let himself lean into Roy’s touch.

“I’m happy you told me...about your feelings and all…”

“You are?” Roy brushed some of Brutus’s hair back softly.

“Yeah. It makes me feel better. For a while after we first met, I had...very conflicted emotions about my feelings for you. It was stressing me out, really. Admittedly, I thought you were a girl when we first met but after learning otherwise...I realized that the feelings I had for you were still strong.” Brutus leaned forward and pecked Roy’s lips gently. “But knowing that you’ve felt the same way all this time...it really takes a load off my shoulders.”

Roy’s cheeks flushed at the confession. He smiled broadly at Brutus and pulled him into another kiss. The first had been slow and cautious, but this one was much more passionate. Brutus pulled Roy’s body against his and Roy let his arms snake around Brutus’s neck as his fingers tangled themselves into Brutus’s hair. What was once nervous tension was now passionate, heartfelt desire as the kiss dragged on.

Bodies shifted and hands traveled as Brutus found himself with his hands practically gripping Roy’s thighs. His eyes fluttered open for a second. He saw Roy, eyes closed and cheeks rosy. He glanced down to see one of Roy’s hands pressed firmly against his chest, the other resting an inch or two down his body. Looking down farther, he saw Roy’s legs on either side of his and his own hands, which were holding Roy’s legs in place. He pulled his lips away again, the sudden realization of the situation finally hitting him.

Roy’s eyes opened in time to see Brutus’s face flush red. In a bit of a daze, Roy looked down at himself and Brutus, assessing the current situation. Without thinking, Roy pushed his body more firmly against Brutus’s, causing the paladin to let out a soft grunt. With his mind lost in the fog of passion, Roy’s hands moved on their own, exploring parts of Brutus’s body that were previously unexplored. Brutus let out a shaky sigh.

“Roy, wait…” Brutus stammered out the words as he gently grabbed Roy’s hands. Roy impulsively twined his fingers with Brutus’s.

“Hmm?” Roy blinked hazily at Brutus and smiled. It took a minute or two for Roy to fully come to his senses. “Is everything alright?”

Brutus swallowed hard. “I...I don’t know if--”

“You’re still a virgin, right?” Roy grinned mischievously. Brutus scoffed.

“Of course I am..!” Even though Brutus said the words, they didn’t carry the importance they usually did. His virginity was tied into his status as a paladin. At least, that's what he had led himself to believe. Yet, protecting it wasn't of the utmost importance right now. Brutus was confused.

Roy’s grin faded. He suddenly became much more serious. “It’s part of your oath, isn’t it? I’m not sure how all of your paladin vows work.”

“Yeah…”

“And you can’t change that for fear of losing Kord’s favor...right?”

“That’s what I was led to believe but...something feels different.” Brutus looked up at the sky. There was not a cloud to be seen and the sun was hidden behind the forest’s canopy. He felt Kord’s attention on him.

“How so, love?” Roy’s voice became melodic once again, as if he were singing his words. He pulled one of Brutus’s hands to his lips and idly kissed his fingers.

“I don’t know...I don’t feel the overwhelming desire to really...protect my virginity.”

“Perhaps Kord  _ wants _ you to get laid.” Roy giggled but jumped when a bolt of lightning streaked across the clear sky, followed by a loud crack of thunder.

Brutus furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes at the sky. “No, I don’t think it’s that.”

Roy also turned his eyes up to the sky. He scoffed before shouting up into the air. “Kord, if you’re listening, give us a sign if this humble paladin can fuck!”

“Roy!” Brutus went to shout but was cut off by another loud boom of thunder. When Roy looked at him again, he was grinning ear to ear.

Brutus was flustered, but he felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt better, his conscience feeling somewhat lighter. Responsibility had been taken from him.

“You know, maybe it’s not that you have to stay a virgin,” Roy began to plant small kisses on Brutus’s fingers and knuckles again, “but that you just had to wait for the right person to lose your virginity to.”

“Maybe…” Brutus’s voice was soft as he relaxed into the newfound feeling of freedom. He turned his hand over, uncurling his fingers so that Roy could press his cheek against the palm of his hand. Roy’s skin was soft against his. Idly, Brutus curled strands of Roy’s damp hair around his fingers and watched as Roy leaned into his touch. For a man who was usually so amorous, Roy seemed incredibly touch starved.

“It’s been so long…” Roy mumbled as he enjoyed the feeling of Brutus’s touch.

“Since?”

“Since I’ve actually connected to someone like this…” Roy put a hand on top of Brutus’s and led it back into his hair. “The feeling of another man’s touch...so gentle, loving…” Roy spoke as if reciting a poem. Brutus ran his fingers through Roy’s long hair, causing him to sigh and close his eyes. “It’s different than sleeping with strangers. There’s no emotion, no love. Just lust, followed by the emptiness of a stranger at your side. There’s no warmth in the cold bed of a stranger, Brutus.”

Brutus listened silently as Roy rambled. He watched the way Roy’s expressions changed as he played with his hair and smiled. He leaned in slowly and interrupted Roy’s monologuing with a soft kiss.

Roy kissed back as if it were second nature to him. His lips moved slowly, turning the gentle kiss into something a little more passionate, somewhat more lustful than it had been. Roy’s hands slowly crept back to where they had been before: one on Brutus’s chest, the other slightly below. Brutus kept a hand in Roy’s hair while his other found comfort on the small of Roy’s back. He pulled Roy closer. Roy’s hands moved down Brutus’s body as he pressed his chest against Brutus’s, his hips knocking ever so slightly against Brutus’s, sending a shiver up the paladin’s spine. The move was no accident and that became apparent when Roy held his hips firmly against Brutus’s. In response, Brutus’s hand slid farther down Roy’s back and he grabbed onto Roy’s ass firmly, keeping him close.

Roy’s teeth grazed against Brutus’s lips as he broke the kiss with a soft sigh. Roy relocated one of his hands to Brutus’s hair so he could give it a sharp tug, causing Brutus’s head to tilt back. Slowly, Roy’s lips dragged over Brutus’s skin, tracing his jaw before traveling down his neck. He left small kisses on Brutus’s skin, a trail of small, sloppy kisses marking his progress on Brutus’s skin. The kisses soon turned to nips and bites, leaving behind faint red marks against Brutus’s fair skin. When he reached Brutus’s shoulder, Roy dragged his tongue back up along the areas he previously kissed and nibbled on, stopping when he reached Brutus’s ear. Roy nipped at his earlobe before speaking, his voice soft and airy. Brutus shuddered.

“Just sit back and relax...I’ll take care of the hard work…” Roy left one last kiss on Brutus’s cheek before sitting back in his lap. Brutus lifted his head to look at Roy, who was smiling broadly at him. Brutus said nothing and returned the smile as he watched Roy slowly move out of his lap and fiddle with his underwear. The fact that he and Roy had been swimming made the fabric stick to Brutus’s skin, but Roy managed to move just enough of the fabric away to reveal Brutus’s dick. Roy tucked his hair back behind his ears and leaned down slowly, leaving a soft kiss on the tip of Brutus’s dick before taking it into his mouth, his tongue swirling in circles around it.

Brutus let out the faintest of sighs as he leaned back on his hands. He watched Roy bob his head along the length of his cock, his tongue pressed firmly against the side of it. Roy moved his head along with ease, only gagging when Brutus placed one of his hands on the back of Roy’s head. Meanwhile, Brutus’s other hand slowly ran down Roy’s back and along the curve of his ass. The fabric of Roy's underwear stuck to his skin, but Brutus managed to slip a hand underneath with ease. He gave his ass a squeeze, his fingers straying close to Roy’s asshole, as Roy pulled his mouth away, leaving a thin line of saliva to drop from his lower lip. He shot a quick glance up at Brutus, whose eyes were locked on him.

Idly, Brutus began to rub his fingers over Roy’s hole, gently teasing him. Roy grunted quietly as he habitually pushed his hips back against Brutus’s fingers. He dragged his tongue up along Brutus’s cock once more before reaching back and grabbing Brutus’s wrist. Roy pulled Brutus’s hand up to his lips before slowly slipping his tongue in between and around Brutus’s fingers. A quick shiver ran up Brutus’s spine and heat rushed to his face as his skin flushed pink. He watched Roy’s mouth intently, reveling in the way his tongue wrapped around his fingers, drawing them into his mouth so he could gently suck on them. The sultry look in Roy’s eyes only caused Brutus to get more flustered. When Roy moved Brutus’s hand back to where it was, Brutus was at a loss for what to do. Roy giggled when he noticed but quickly went back to sucking Brutus’s cock, stopping only when he was asked.

“W-Wait, Roy…” Brutus’s voice was soft and shaky. Roy looked up at him. “I feel like I’m being selfish…”

“How so?” Roy's voice was soft and oozed with intimacy and lust.

“I...Well, you're doing all the work and I'm just sitting here.”

“That's usually how a blowjob goes, love.” Roy giggled and tucked away some rogue strands of hair. “But if you want to return the favor, meet me later tonight.”

Brutus furrowed his brows. “Why later?” His voice came out a little more agitated than he had liked but Roy just laughed.

“I have a performance in a few, but I have enough time to make you cum.”

Roy's words caused Brutus's face to turn red but he barely had time to react before Roy went back to what he had been doing before the interruption. Brutus let himself relax as he ran his hand up Roy's back and nestled it into his hair. Roy let out a soft, muffled sound as he moved his head down along Brutus's shaft, letting his dick touch the back of his throat. Roy's shoulders jerked slightly but the gagging was minimal.

“Roy…” Brutus moaned quietly as he watched Roy. Slowly, Roy lifted his head until only the tip of Brutus's dick was still in his mouth. He looked up at Brutus, the tears lining his eyes making his vision slightly blurry. Brutus sighed as he felt Roy's tongue slowly swirl around his tip.

“Could you...do that again?” Brutus's voice came out on a sigh that immediately turned to another moan as Roy obliged, deepthroating Brutus's cock once again. Brutus gripped lightly at Roy's hair and let his head fall back as Roy sucked on his dick. Roy slowly lifted his head, the suction between his lips and Brutus's dick causing a soft ‘pop.’ A thick string of saliva dripped from Roy's bottom lip, snapping only when he started to jerk Brutus off with his hand.

Brutus was quiet. He had let his eyes fall shut as he focused on the pleasure he was feeling. He felt the build up of his oncoming orgasm and he instinctively pushed on Roy's head, forcing his cock farther down Roy's throat. Roy gagged slightly as his shoulders shuddered. He shut his eyes to force the tears that had built up to overflow and held his head in place, increasing the suction on Brutus's cock. He let Brutus guide his head up and down to his liking. Suddenly, Brutus's grip on Roy's hair tightened. Roy could feel his cock twitch against his lips and knew Brutus was at his limit. He pulled his head up so his lips encircled the tip of his dick and he glanced up at Brutus's red face as he came.

Brutus squeezed his eyes shut and grunted as he orgasmed. He squirmed at the slightest stimulation afterwards, his body sensitive. He let out a loud sigh as Roy sat back on his heels, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"All done, love?" Roy giggled as Brutus looked at him with a dazed look in his eyes. Brutus couldn't think of anything to say, so he simply nodded and gave Roy a dopey grin. Roy couldn't help but laugh.

"You're the cutest man I've ever met…" Roy grabbed Brutus's face and pulled him into a kiss. Brutus practically melted into Roy's touch and suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day in his arms. But Roy pulled away abruptly and Brutus grunted.

"Where're you going..?" Brutus sat upright as Roy started to get up. He frowned as he watched Roy start to walk off, but he didn't mind the view.

"I have a show!" Roy looked at Brutus over his shoulder. "Come see me afterwards, love. I'll be all yours."

Brutus reluctantly readjusted himself and got up. He followed Roy like a lost puppy. He already missed Roy's touch. He watched as Roy casted a few prestidigitation spells to dry himself off and start to dress. When Roy saw Brutus approach, he did the same for him, drying him off and handing him his clothes. The two dressed together, sharing lighthearted banter, before heading back to town.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Roy's request, Brutus spends the night with him. They enjoy each other's company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I showed this to my friend, the guy who made Brutus, and he offered lovely real-time commentary. My favorite comment of his was, and I quote, "DID ROY JUST CAST GREASE ON THIS MAN'S DICK?!"

At dusk, Roy's performance officially began. Brutus sat at his own table off to the side while Roy played. It was refreshing to be able to sit and relax after traveling for so long. Brutus caught himself thinking about how much Roy's music had changed over the years. When they had first met, Roy's music was upbeat and light-hearted, but now it was slow and carried an air of melancholy. He sang from an honest place, retelling in agonizing detail his deepest regrets, his tragedies, his loss. He sang from the heart and made music that left him vulnerable, spilling his emotions out in a way that was palatable to the world. Brutus watched how Roy captivated his crowd, how his songs swayed his fans. He saw them cry and cheer and watched as the darkest parts of everyone resonated with Roy's pain, tastefully summed up with music. Brutus easily understood how Roy had gotten so popular. His music didn't tell of spectacular tales that the masses would never live, his music spoke to the common man. His music told stories that everyone could relate to. Roy offered his own form of therapy through his melodies.

When the performance was over, Roy sat on the edge of the stage and talked with his fans. It was comforting to watch Roy relate to the people his music touched. The entire scene was beautiful to watch as Roy's fans just sat and talked with him like they had been friends. Brutus watched Roy smile and laugh with his fans, shaking hands and hugging and signing autographs. To most, Roy would have seemed like he was in his element, but Brutus knew Roy more intimately than most. He knew by Roy's subtle gestures that he was becoming overwhelmed by the attention. Roy had always been that way, he became emotionally exhausted after being social for too long. Brutus wanted to say something, but before he could, Roy was saying goodbye to his fans as he retreated to the safety of his room. Brutus took note of the direction he headed off in and waited for a bit before following.

Brutus climbed a few sets of stairs before he found himself at the top floor. Down the hallway, he could see a door protected by a man who looked to be a mercenary type. Brutus approached and was stopped by the man.

"Roy doesn't take visitors after the show." The man stared at Brutus indifferently. He kept his arms crossed over his chest as he stood before the door.

"I'm an old friend of his, he told me to come see him after he was done." Brutus frowned. Roy did want him to come, didn't he?

"I don't know what to tell you, no one's allowed in." The mercenary shrugged. "Come back tomorrow."

Brutus stayed where he was, eyeing the man before him. He knew that Roy wanted to see him, but he hadn't mentioned his stubborn bodyguard. As Brutus was about to say something, the door opened.

"Raphael, what's the matter?" Roy, in his night clothes, materialized behind the half-elf at the door. The mercenary, Raphael, turned his head slightly to acknowledge Roy.

"This guy was trying to come see you. I told him you weren't taking visitors."

"Oh, Brutus, there you are. It's fine, Raphael. He can see me any time." Roy smiled to Brutus as he patted Raphael's shoulder. "He can come in."

Without another word, Raphael stepped aside so Brutus could come in. Roy kissed Brutus at the door and Brutus noticed the envious look in the mercenary's eyes as the door shut behind him.

"I guess he's your new bodyguard?" Brutus looked around Roy's room. From the looks of it, Roy had the suite rented out.

"Yeah, he's been with me since Orzo went off to do his own thing. He's sweet, he just takes his job seriously. Do you want anything? Drinks? Snacks? I get room service with the suite." Roy made his way over to the bed, which was adorned with several pillows and silk sheets. Roy grabbed a colorful stone off the nightstand and flipped through a little pamphlet.

"I think he likes you." Brutus chuckled as he sat next to Roy, eyeing the pamphlet. It had drink and food options inside, like a small menu.

"I slept with him a few times. I think he thinks there was something more to it." Roy shrugged and moved over, giving Brutus more space. "C'mere. I miss you."

"I'm right here." Brutus laughed. He kicked off his boots and made himself comfortable beside Roy, who immediately cuddled up beside him. Roy held the menu so they could both see.

"See anything you want?" Roy murmured as he turned the stone over in his free hand. Brutus hummed as he read the options.

"I'm not too hungry, but I'll eat anything you get."

"Alright, love. Will you drink with me? You don't have to, just need to know how many glasses to ask for." Roy sat up, much to Brutus's dismay. He kept a hand on Roy's hip, Roy's loose shirt falling over it. Brutus stroked his thumb against Roy's skin softly.

"Maybe." Brutus shrugged. Roy turned to look at him incredulously.

"Really?"

"Well, it never hurts to ask for an extra glass."

Roy nodded and turned back to the menu. In his other hand, Brutus saw the stone flare to life and begin to emit dim light. Roy spoke into the stone and the familiar voice of the barkeep responded, taking note of everything Roy asked for, which wasn't much. Just wine and finger foods. And water. When he was finished, Roy reached over and put the stone back where it was on the nightstand.

"I hope this doesn't cost too much extra." Brutus mumbled as Roy turned to him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed now, but seemed reluctant to stand. Brutus ran a hand up Roy's back and he sighed, leaning back into his touch.

"I paid upfront for it. Even if it did, I know the owner's son. He would take care of it." When Roy noticed the look Brutus gave him, he giggled. "He's a fan, I didn't sleep with him. Well, I thought about it, but he's too young for me."

Brutus grinned and rolled his eyes. He knew Roy was promiscuous by nature, it wouldn't have surprised him if he had. Brutus motioned for Roy to lie back down, but Roy shook his head.

"I'm going to take a bath. You can join me, if you like." Roy finally stood and Brutus sat up. "And by that, I mean I want you to." Before Brutus could respond, Roy had pulled off his shirt and tossed it to him, the cloth falling over Brutus's head. With a laugh, Roy sauntered into the next room, Brutus in tow.

When Brutus entered the room, Roy was already leaning over the edge of the large water basin, channeling magic into the runes inscribed along the edges. The sigils illuminated and Brutus watched as the tub filled with water before his eyes. Roy fiddled with a few glass vials, opening them and smelling the liquid inside each of them, before dripping a few drops of what looked to be oil into the water. From there, he looked through his various soaps before picking one he liked and pouring the thick liquid into the water. Roy swirled his hand through the water afterwards, causing the soap to bubble up in the tub. Roy moved another one of his soaps, a bar, to sit on the edge of the basin.

Roy looked over his shoulder to see if Brutus had joined him. Pleased, Roy straightened his posture and went over to him, planting a kiss on his cheek. Brutus turned his head in an attempt to catch the kiss with his lips, but was a second too late. Seeing this, Roy leaned back in, planting the kiss where Brutus wanted it. He didn't pull away, though, and Brutus kissed him back, fully confident now. He didn't protest when Roy started to pull his shirt up, slowly revealing his stomach and chest, and he only pulled away to let Roy pull the shirt up and over his head. In response, Brutus tugged at the drawstring of Roy's pants, loosening them enough to let him pull them down below his hips. Gravity did the work from there as they fell in a pool around his ankles. Brutus was a little shocked to see that Roy wasn't wearing anything underneath, though he probably shouldn't have been. What was more of a shock to him was that Roy was naturally blond, though that also shouldn't have been much of a surprise. Brutus had expected his natural hair color to be darker, though.

"You're getting good at this." Roy commented with a giggle as he turned and carefully got into the bath. He motioned for Brutus to join him, and after a moment, he did. The water was delightfully warm and it seemed that the runes kept it that way.

"I hope you don't mind jasmine, that's what I put in here." Roy hummed as he pulled his hair out of the loose bun he had tied it into. Brutus watched as Roy cupped his hands under the water and poured it over his long hair, causing it to cling to his face and shoulders. Roy reached to the small table beside the tub and grabbed a crystalline bottle, presumably filled with another one of his many soaps. Brutus wondered how much gold Roy spent on soap alone, then remembered that he dabbled in alchemy. He probably made them all himself.

"I don't have much of a preference. Besides, you always smell nice. I trust your judgement." Brutus picked up the bar of soap sitting on the edge of the tub and ran it over his wet skin. It was smooth against his skin and left a rich lather behind along with the smell of flowers. Upon closer inspection, Brutus noticed actual flower petals infused in the bar. "This is nice…"

"Bath time is my favorite time of day...well, aside from dinner. I try to make it as relaxing as possible, especially after dealing with people all night." Roy hummed as he worked the liquid soap into his hair, pulling his hair back and working on it in segments. He smiled to himself as he ran his fingers back through his hair. If this was what life with Roy was like, Brutus could easily get used to it.

"That's...very on brand for you." Brutus rinsed the suds from his skin and took a moment to revel in the scent. He leaned back against the edge of the tub and relaxed, the floral smell and warm water putting him at ease. He watched Roy as he rinsed the soap from his hair, careful not to get any into his eyes. He followed up with another...soap? The texture was different than the last and was stored differently, too. It was creamier in texture and Roy kept it in a small jar he needed to dip his fingers into. This one didn't lather, it simply worked into his hair and seemed to disappear.

"What's that one?"

"Conditioner. It's like lotion, just for your hair. I usually just mix a few oils and other things together with the same base I use for my solid soaps, and with a little magic, they don't solidify. It's how I keep my hair soft." It wasn't often that Roy talked about his hobbies. Brutus listened intently as Roy rambled on about his soap-making, listing off ingredients that Brutus wouldn't have guessed would be used in such a way. Frankly, it was all interesting hearing about the processes involved. Roy was incredibly knowledgeable about it all.

"That's a lot to keep track of." Brutus handed the bar of soap to Roy when he held a hand out for it. Brutus noticed that he left the conditioner in his hair rather than rinse it out.

"Once you have the base, it isn't too bad. I keep all the recipes in a journal." Roy narrowed his eyes at Brutus and spoke with a playful tone. "Don't go telling people, now."

Brutus chuckled. "I'd never dream of it."

Roy giggled in response and moved closer to Brutus. "Here, turn around and I'll show you why I like it so much."

Brutus obliged, turning his back to Roy and closing his eyes when he felt water running through his hair. He kept his eyes closed as Roy worked his fingers through his hair, scrubbing the soap into his scalp. It felt nice. When Roy was sure he had worked everything in well enough, he rinsed the suds away and followed up with his conditioner. Brutus noticed that it had a different smell than the rest of the soaps he had been using, it was much earthier and reminded him of the woods the two had walked through earlier.

"There, then you just leave that in for a few minutes and rinse it out and your hair will be softer than it's ever been." Roy spoke softly and wrapped his arms around Brutus from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. He left a small kiss on Brutus's neck and giggled when he shuddered in response.

"You seem to like that."

Brutus's face reddened and he turned his head to look at Roy. Roy was grinning at him mischievously. Before Brutus could respond, Roy planted another kiss on his neck, then another just below his jaw, and another right beside his ear, earning him another shudder. Amused, Roy continued, seeing which spots caused a similar response. Brutus sighed quietly and let his head fall to the side, exposing the length of his neck for Roy. His sighs turned to soft grunts as Roy's kisses turned to gentle bites. They weren't hard enough to leave lasting marks, but definitely enough to leave faint indents where Roy's teeth once were. Roy let his hands idly trace over Brutus's skin under the water, memorizing every detail of his physique. He started up high, his fingers following the line of his collar bones before drifting down over his chest. A small pang of a painful memory hit Roy when one of his hands moved over the scar on Brutus's chest, right over his heart. He was reminded of the night he had lost Brutus and his arms tightened around his body, holding him closer. He had felt so lost without him and traveling with Delsin felt like torture, not because he disliked Delsin, but because he saw traces of Brutus in him.

Roy shoved away his sad thoughts as his hands worked on their own accord, slipping farther down Brutus's body. Serving a god of sport did miraculous things to his physique and Roy found himself grinning against Brutus's neck, now watching his own hands in the soapy water. He watched as Brutus's chest rose and fell with heavy breaths and felt Brutus shift his weight back against him, giving Roy a better view. But Roy's hands dared to venture further. Brutus's body shivered in anticipation, his eyes open now and watching Roy's hands intently, seeing where they would go next. A faint moan escaped Brutus's lips, but before Roy's hands could go much farther, a third voice caused him to jump.

"Roy, your food." Roy's bodyguard. His deep voice called from the other room and Brutus heard the clinking of glasses. Roy lifted his head, the look on his face rather uninterested, and he turned his gaze to peer through the open doorway to the other room. Brutus followed his gaze in time to see Raphael walk just into view.

"You can just leave it by the bed. If the boy is still outside, tip him a bit, will you?" Roy sat back, his hands never leaving Brutus's body. He smiled coyly to Raphael, no trace of awkwardness in his sharp features. It was fine, Brutus felt enough of it for the both of them.

"Alright." Raphael was blunt. A true mercenary.

"Thank you, Raph." Roy hummed softly as Raphael nodded. Brutus and Raphael kept uncomfortable eye contact for a split second before the mercenary turned. The two heard the clink of coin before the door opened and closed. Brutus turned to look at Roy.

"I don't think he likes me."

"He gets jealous. Don't worry much about it. Here, let me rinse your hair out." Roy pulled away as he started to pour water through Brutus's hair again, cleaning out anything left behind. His fingers glided through Brutus's hair with ease. "There."

Brutus ran a hand through his own hair and was surprised by how soft it felt. Whatever Roy put into that conditioner of his, it worked well. He turned fully and watched as Roy did the same to his own hair, though it took him much longer to be sure it was fully rinsed. When he was finished, Brutus was the first to get out of the bath. He grabbed one of the fluffy towels sitting beside the table, wrapped it around his waist, and turned to find Roy's eyes on him, looking him over. He blushed.

"What..?"

"You have a nice body. Truly a work of art…sculpturesque." Roy mused quietly as he stood. Brutus scoffed and reached out for him, helping him out of the tub. He handed Roy the other towel but watched as Roy used it to put his hair up rather than dry himself off. Brutus instinctively looked away when Roy bent over the tub and began channeling magic back into the runes that had once filled it. It took him a moment before he realized he no longer needed to, and he slowly turned his head back, his face hot. With Roy's hair up, Brutus now had a full view of his back. His otherwise flawless skin was dotted with pink scars he earned from combat. Brutus wasn't quite sure why, but something about seeing Roy from this angle was particularly attractive. His slender figure shifted as his hands moved effortlessly over the arcane sigils. Without thinking twice, Brutus reached out and put a hand on Roy's lower back, slowly moving up the curve of his back to the back of his neck. He heard Roy sigh, a soft, faintly melodic sound that made Brutus smile, as he ran the same hand down his side. He continued as the water magically drained from the tub on its own accord now and Roy reached for Brutus's other hand, pulling it to rest on his hip.

"Do you like that?" Brutus was sure he knew the answer, but he asked to be sure. Roy nodded slowly as he crossed his arms on the edge of the tub and rested his cheek against them. Brutus moved to a more comfortable position behind Roy and continued to move his hands along Roy's lean figure, applying soft pressure when running his hands up along his back. He paused at Roy's neck and, using his thumbs, rubbed small circles against his muscles. Roy sighed again, his head tilting forward in response.

"Oh...you're good at that…" Roy's voice was partially muffled against his arms. "I could get used to this…"

Brutus laughed and continued, working the knots out of Roy's muscles. He seemed stressed, as the muscles in his back were tense against his hands. With a little work, Brutus could feel the tension almost melt away and Roy's body visibly relaxed. Slowly, Roy stood upright, using the edge of the basin to push himself up. Brutus stepped back as Roy stretched his arms and moved his head in a small circle. Judging by the look on his face, Brutus could tell that he was falling asleep, but he was wide awake now.

"C'mon, love, I want food." Roy gave Brutus a soft kiss as he led him back to the bedroom. By now, the water on their skin had dried and Roy almost immediately tossed himself into bed, no thought given to redressing himself. He truly embraced his elven nature. Brutus followed suit, his towel eventually falling from his waist as he crawled into bed. Roy sat quietly as he unraveled his hair and reached for the brush that sat on the nightstand beside the platter of finger foods and bottle of wine. Brutus also noticed that there was a pitcher of water, presumably for him.

"Help yourself." Roy began brushing out his hair as Brutus picked at the various snacks that Roy had called for. Most of them were sweets. Brutus knew Roy had an insatiable sweet tooth, he fondly remembered all the snacks Roy carried with him back in the day. He even remembered seeing Roy in the midst of combat, taffy hanging out of his mouth. He wondered if that habit ever died.

When Roy had finished with his hair, he put his brush back where he had gotten it and picked up the bottle of wine. He poured himself a generous glass before he looked over at Brutus. "Do you want some?"

"Wine?"

"Mhm." Roy nodded as he sipped. He set his full glass down on the nightstand and reached for the empty one.

"I guess I'll try some." Brutus shrugged. What's the worst that could happen?

Roy blinked in surprise but poured Brutus a small amount. He held the glass out to him. "It's white wine so it's a little sweeter. I think you'll like it, the alcohol isn't as strong."

Brutus took the glass and looked at its contents. Small bubbles rose in the wine as the liquid swirled in the glass. Brutus held the glass to his lips for a moment. It definitely smelled sweeter than red wine. Slowly, he took a sip. It wasn't bad, but then again, his gauge for the taste of drinks wasn't the best. He could stomach it. The sweetness was a nice touch.

"Well?" Roy sipped again at his own glass and waited for a verdict.

"It's not bad." Brutus took another, bigger sip.

"Do you want some more?" Roy was already reaching for the bottle.

Brutus shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Roy grinned as he poured some more wine into Brutus's glass for him. He set the bottle back on the nightstand and grabbed one of the little pastries on the platter as he moved beside Brutus, curling up against him yet again. Brutus readjusted himself so that Roy's head was nestled into his neck and his hand rested on Roy's side. Never in his wildest dreams did Brutus think he would be where he was now, naked in bed with Roy nestled up against him the way he was. Brutus sipped at his wine as he thought about their relationship throughout the years. Looking back, Roy had dropped some glaringly obvious signs that he was interested. Brutus was always the first person Roy came to heal, when they hugged, Roy always lingered in his arms and wouldn't pull away until he did. Roy had always made the time to be by his side, no matter what it was he was going to do. Roy even tried to get him a date once, but that clearly fell through. Brutus wondered why Roy had waited so long to say something. Perhaps he had just been nervous or maybe adventuring would've made a relationship more difficult. Whatever the reason, Brutus was happy that he knew now.

Brutus looked down at Roy when he started to hum quietly to himself. His fingers idly traced patterns on Brutus's chest as he sipped at his wine. Roy seemed entranced by something, though Brutus couldn't tell what it was. Brutus listened as he emptied his glass, setting it aside on the nightstand. He put his hand on top of Roy's, his fingers curling around Roy's hand, and held it against his chest. Roy could feel the beating of Brutus's heart. It seemed faster than it should have been. Roy turned his eyes up to Brutus's slowly, holding his gaze for a moment, before starting to sit up. Roy shifted on the bed and straddled Brutus's waist as he put his glass on the nightstand.

"You know," Roy's voice was low and sultry, "I did say that if you came to see me tonight I would be all yours…"

Brutus's cheeks turned the slightest shade of pink but he grinned up at Roy, his eyes having trouble locking with Roy's as they took his body in. "You did say that, but I feel like you know what you want already."

Roy grinned mischievously. "I do." Roy's hands slid up Brutus's chest. One came to rest right beside his neck while the other came to rest on his jaw, his thumb dragging along Brutus's bottom lip.

"And what might that be?" Brutus's hands slid up Roy's thighs to rest on his hips.

Roy leaned down so his face hovered just above Brutus's. His hair fell around his shoulders and face, casting shadows across his elven features, though his eyes remained just as bright as they always were. There was a hungry look in those eyes. Brutus could feel Roy's lips just barely brush against his as he spoke. "I want you to make me yours." The tone of Roy's voice riled up something deep within Brutus. He gripped tighter at Roy's hips as Roy's lips hovered just above his own.

"Ravage me." Roy whispered as he started to sit back up. Brutus was quick to make sure he couldn't as one of his hands moved to the back of Roy's neck, pulling his head back down and pressing his lips against his own. Roy's teeth grazed against Brutus's lip as they kissed, teasing him into action. It worked, Brutus responding to the gesture with a faint bite. Brutus sat up slowly, Roy's body moving with his and settling in his lap as Brutus's lips strayed away from Roy's. He mimicked what Roy had done to him earlier, kissing along his jaw before making his way down the length of Roy's neck. He lingered, playfully biting at Roy's soft skin and leaving faint red marks to mark his progress.

Roy's breathing quickened and his heart hammered in his chest as Brutus's lips continued down further. Brutus worked his way down to Roy's chest, his lips moving over to one of Roy's nipples. Brutus's tongue pressed firmly against it before his lips suctioned around it, causing Roy to let out a quiet, but shaky, sigh. Roy's fingers tangled themselves in Brutus's hair as he continued to suck on his nipple, his tongue flicking against it. Roy gasped when he felt Brutus's teeth gently graze his skin, the metal ends of his piercing clinking against Brutus's teeth.

"Again." Roy mumbled as Brutus obliged, dragging his teeth against Roy's nipple again. Roy shuddered as he felt the blood rush to his face, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Roy sighed again as Brutus moved one of his hands to his chest, his fingers giving attention to his other nipple. The other hand made its way between Roy's legs, fingers lightly teasing his already hard cock.

"G-Gods, don't tease me like that…" Roy's voice shook as Brutus ever so slightly rubbed a finger against the underside of his dick.

"Is that what you want..?" Brutus's voice was soft and muffled against Roy's chest. His fingers continued to ghost along the length of Roy's dick, teasing him ever so slightly with each pass.

"Yes...yes it's all I've ever wanted…" Roy whispered as he stared down at Brutus, his eyes pleading for his touch. Brutus cast his gaze up at Roy, taking in his flushed face, before he grinned. Instead, Brutus laid Roy back on the bed and watched as Roy turned over, his knees pushing into the mattress but his chest flush against the bed. Roy's hips hung in the air as Brutus shifted to his knees, his eyes fixated on the arch of Roy's back. Roy was watching him from over his shoulder.

"I already took care of the prep work before you came up…" Roy snapped his fingers and Brutus blinked as his cock was suddenly slick to the touch, lube dripping down along the curve of his balls. "Fuck me, please…" Roy was practically begging at this point.

Brutus grunted as he grabbed Roy's hip with one hand, pulling his butt closer. He used his other to guide his cock as he slowly eased it into Roy's hole. Roy sighed softly, his hips pushing back as Brutus pushed in. Roy's hands gripped at the sheets as Brutus eased himself all the way in. Brutus waited a moment before he started to thrust, biting his lip as he felt Roy's body clench around his cock. He held firmly to Roy's hips as Roy moved them back at the same pace, matching Brutus's motions with his own. Brutus had started slowly, making sure Roy was properly adjusted, but he couldn't help himself. His thrusts quickened, his hips pushing all the way forward as he drove his cock deep into Roy. Roy continued to match his pace flawlessly but, much to Brutus's displeasure, Roy was...rather quiet. It wasn't what Brutus had expected. He wanted to hear him moan. In one swift motion, he rammed his hips forward against Roy's, and that's when he heard it. Roy moaned in pleasure, his body shuddering in response. Brutus wanted to hear it again. He wanted to hear it louder. Sex was a sport and he needed to win.

Brutus reached forward and grabbed Roy by the hair, pulling Roy up so his back pressed flush against his body. Roy whimpered but didn't protest. Brutus continued his steady pace as he thrusted his hips forward, but the new position had made Roy tighter, he could feel it. Brutus placed his chin on Roy's shoulder and looked at him out of the corners of his eyes. Roy's eyes were squeezed shut, his mouth hanging open.

"I want you to moan my name." Brutus grunted as he wrapped his arms tightly around Roy's body. Roy managed to open his eyes slightly to look at Brutus. "I want to hear you say it." Brutus rammed his hips forward again but held his cock deep inside for a moment before pulling almost all the way out, only to shove his hips forward again, only faster this time. This became the new pace. Roy reached back with one hand, gripping tightly to Brutus's hip, while the other clenched around one of Brutus's wrists.

"B-Brutus!" Roy moaned loudly as his eyes squeezed shut again. His body shuddered in Brutus's arms.

"Louder." Brutus growled lowly in Roy's ear as he quickened his pace, thrusting into Roy with relentless fervor.

"O-oh Gods!" Roy cried out as his nails dug into Brutus's skin. "Brutus!!"

Satisfied, Brutus let out a groan as he continued to ram his hips forward into Roy's. He panted against Roy's skin and kept his body close, his arms tightening to keep Roy from squirming away. Roy's hands were shaking as he clung to whatever he could hold. His body felt hot, his face was burning. Roy felt himself edging closer and closer to orgasm with each thrust. Roy trembled in Brutus's arms as he felt his body giving in, melting into orgasmic bliss. His back arched against Brutus's body as he cried out in pleasure, screaming Brutus's name as he came. But Brutus didn't stop and Roy didn't want him to.

"D-don't stop! Ooh fuck, don't stop!" Roy pried his hand from Brutus's wrist so he could reach back and grip at Brutus's hair. Roy turned his head and angled Brutus's so he could kiss him, his moans muffled by Brutus's lips. Brutus grunted and groaned against Roy's lips as his thrusts lost rhythm, his hips jerking forward on their own accord as he started to hit his own climax. Brutus held tightly to Roy's squirming body and buried his face in Roy's shoulder.

"I-I'm..! Roy..!" Brutus let out a moan as his hips thrust forward one last time, his orgasm hitting its peak. Roy sighed loudly as he felt Brutus cum inside him, his eyes fluttering as his muscles relaxed. Roy's grip on Brutus loosened as Roy fell forward, catching himself with his hands. Brutus rested his hands on Roy's lower back as he panted, exhausted. Slowly, he pulled out of Roy and sat back on the bed, Roy still on his hands and knees.

"You okay..?" Brutus spoke between pants as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Roy nodded but Brutus couldn't see.

"I...I need a minute…" Roy eventually stuttered. He panted heavily as his body shook. Brutus chuckled. "Just give me a minute…"

"Take your time." Brutus responded as he poured himself a glass of water. He watched as Roy slowly sat back, sighing as he did so. Roy ran a hand back through his hair and casted a few spells to clean up the mess the two had made. When he was done, he collapsed beside Brutus and curled up against him.

"Better now?" Brutus put his arm around Roy's shoulders and held him close. He kissed the top of Roy's head gently.

"Yeah...that was a lot more than I was expecting." Roy laughed as he grabbed Brutus's wrist and pulled the glass to his lips, taking a long drink of water.

"Was it?"

"I...well I'll be honest, I thought you would be a little more shy." Roy giggled as he jabbed Brutus's chest with a finger. Brutus scoffed in response.

"I couldn't help myself, I had to make up for years of mutual frustration." Brutus jostled Roy a little and laughed when Roy pouted at him.

"I  _ guess _ you're right…" Roy rolled his eyes but grinned. "It was...great though." Roy mumbled softly. "Does this make you my boyfriend now?"

Brutus couldn't help but laugh. "I guess it does if that's what you want."

Roy nodded enthusiastically. "It's all I've ever wanted." Roy sat up a little and leaned down to press a gentle kiss against Brutus's lips. He lied back down afterwards.

"Say, you said you were headed somewhere the other day…"

"Yeah, a job." Brutus nodded.

"Could I maybe...I dunno, come with you? Like old times?"

Brutus smiled broadly at Roy and held him close. "Of course, just be careful. I have to protect you more than ever now."

Roy blushed and smiled. "I can handle myself. But okay."

Brutus kissed Roy's forehead softly before getting under the covers of the bed. His head sunk into the pillows as Roy got comfortable beside him. The last thing Brutus saw before drifting to sleep was Roy's eyes on him and the smile on his face.


End file.
